


it's a small world after all

by carpisuns



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (implied) - Freeform, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrien with Chat hair, Adrien with Minnie Mouse ears, Adrinette, Disney, Disney World & Disneyland, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Humor, I'm obsessed w the Haunted Mansions so yes of course they had to ride Phantom Manor, Identity Reveal, It's Adrienette but yeah i snuck that marichat in cause im trash :(, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Romance, Romantic Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, minor DJWifi, self-indulgent af!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27836053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpisuns/pseuds/carpisuns
Summary: It's Halloween, and the class is on a trip to Disneyland Paris. With luck on her side—and a bit of Disney magic—hopefully Marinette will finally be able to tell Adrien how she feels. But not before she makes a fool of herself, of course.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 49
Kudos: 324
Collections: ML Writer Zine: Once Upon a Season





	it's a small world after all

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the Miraculous Writer Zine: Once Upon a Season! Thank you to all who purchased. We were able to donate $2,385 to AO3!  
> The zine includes 24 stories (6 per season). This one is from the fall collection. Hope you enjoy <3

Marinette breathed in the crisp October air. The crowd around her buzzed with anticipation. Behind her, Alya held up her phone to film.

“Hey, bugheads! I’m here with my class at Disneyland Paris. No Ladybug here today, but maybe we’ll see Mickey Mouse! And since the park will be all decked out for Halloween, I bet we’ll see more than one _chat noir_ ...”

A tingle ran through Marinette. They were about forty kilometers from Paris, but she didn’t like being away from the city when Hawk Moth was still at large. She had planned to stay home, but Tikki persuaded her to go.

“Even Ladybug needs a break!” she had said. And she was right. With the stress of being the Guardian on top of everything else, Marinette hadn’t had a chance to relax in months. Besides, with the horse miraculous, she could be back at the first sign of trouble.

“So.” Alya draped an arm over Marinette’s shoulders. “You ready to make some _Disney magic_ happen between you and Adrien?”

“Alya!” Marinette glanced at Adrien, who was standing near the front with Nino.

“Come on, M. What better place to make all your dreams come true? You should tell him how you feel. Tonight. During the fireworks show. In front of the castle! It would be so perfect.”

Marinette bit her lip. “You’re right. I’ll—I’ll find the right time.”

“No takebacks!” Alya grabbed her hand and dragged her to the front.

Adrien’s face lit up. “Marinette! I wanted to tell you how awesome these are!” He spread out his arms to show off the red Françoise Dupont t-shirt she’d designed for the trip.

Marinette blushed. “Th-thanks.”

“I love the hidden Mickeys in the design. Very clever.”

“You—you noticed that?”

The crowd began to surge forward.

“Don’t worry, girl,” Alya whispered with a sneaky grin. “I’ll make sure you get plenty of chances to talk to Adrien. Just keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle and enjoy the ride.”

* * *

Inside the park, holiday festivities were in full swing. Everywhere Marinette looked there were Mickey-shaped pumpkins and vibrant autumn garlands and statues of silly-looking ghosts. The street was lined with shops and carts selling bright red candy apples. The mouthwatering smell of vanilla and baked goods washed over her, and the marching-band music swelled over the din of the crowd. At the end of the street stood the castle, silent and majestic.

At Nino’s request, they headed to Hyperspace Mountain first. Alya not-so-subtly made sure that Adrien and Marinette were seated together, but Adrien didn’t seem to notice.

Marinette’s hair whipped around her face as they hurtled through tight twists and turns in the darkness. She screamed as loud as she could just for the fun of it and vaguely wondered how Tikki was holding up inside her bag. Beside her, she heard Adrien’s shouts above the whistling wind.

When they came to a stop, he turned to her with a huge smile. “My first roller coaster—wow! That was the most fun I’ve had in … well, maybe ever. Hey, what’s so funny?”

Marinette stifled a giggle. “Your hair is all messed up now.”

She’d never seen him like this before, but the untidy mess of blond looked strikingly familiar ...

When they exited the ride, they decided to try the candy apples at one of the carts.

“Hey, Marinette.” Adrien held up his apple with a grin. “You’re the apple of my eye.”

Marinette blinked. Hadn’t Chat Noir used the same joke at movie night last Friday? No—it was at patrol a few days before, when she brought an apple tart from the bakery.

“Dude, your jokes are terrible,” Nino said.

“Ouch. That hurts. Well, luckily I have a thick _skin_.” Adrien sank his teeth into the apple.

“Can you stop it with the bad puns for like, one second?”

“ _Apple_ -lutely not. I’m a punster to my _core_.”

Marinette laughed. “You know what I love the most about Disney?”

“What?” Adrien asked.

“They always live _apple_ -ly ever after.”

Adrien broke into laughter while Nino groaned.

Alya shook her head, smiling. “You guys are as bad as Chat Noir.”

* * *

“What do you think?” Adrien turned to Marinette, wearing a pair of Minnie ears.

She stared. With the black ears on top of his still-windswept blond hair, Adrien reminded her of someone ...

“Yeah, uh, they look great!” she said.

“Ooh, they have tiaras! Can I buy you one?”

“Oh—no, that’s okay! You don’t have to.”

“Please?” Adrien looked at her earnestly. “I wanted to thank you for making our t-shirts.”

“No, seriously, it’s fine! I—”

“Come on, Princess.”

She froze. She’d heard that nickname a thousand times, during late-night video game tournaments and lazy design sessions and long discussions with stupid jokes that made her laugh until her stomach hurt. Coming from Adrien, it seemed almost foreign. But at the same time, it was so familiar. Even the _way_ he said it. That little smirk. The teasing lilt in his voice. The gleam in his eyes— _green_ eyes ...

“… _Marinette!_ Princess Marinette. Haha.” Adrien’s smile seemed a little forced. “That’s what we’ll have to call you when you wear this, huh?”

He took off the Minnie ears. “I’ll take both of these, please,” he said to the attendant.

Marinette shook her head to clear her thoughts. She glanced down at her bag. Tikki’s blue eyes peered through the sliver of an opening.

When Adrien came back, he set the tiara gently on Marinette’s head. “There. You look …”

His eyebrows drew upward and his mouth hung slightly open.

“... beautiful.”

Marinette flushed.

“Not that you didn’t look beautiful before!” he said quickly. “You’re, um, beautiful all the time.”

At this point, her brain was barely functioning. “Yanks! I mean, thanks … you. Thank you.”

She knew she was probably as red as the candy apples they’d just eaten, but she could hardly bring herself to care because Adrien had called her _beautiful_ and oh my _gosh_ was he blushing too? His cheeks looked a little pink and he was doing that adorable thing where he rubbed the back of his neck. Was Adrien Agreste _flustered_? Because he thought she was _beautiful_? She was going to pass out. She needed … something. A pep talk from Tikki. A bucket of cold water on her head. A soundproof room to scream in for ten minutes. _Something_.

“Hey, are you two done flirting yet?”

_NOT THAT._

Alya ignored Marinette’s dagger-eyes. “Yo, Adrien, we match!” She pointed to her new Minnie ears.

“Cool,” he said distractedly.

Nino joined them. Apparently Alya had managed to convince him to swap out his cap for a Mickey hat. “Let’s go. We have Fast Passes for Pirates.”

“Perfect.” Alya smirked at Marinette. “Grab hold of your partner, matey.”

* * *

After a blur of lines, rides, shops, and photos, it was almost evening. The sun hung low in the purple-streaked sky.

“What next?” Nino asked.

Alya tilted her head. “Well, there’s one ride I’ve been _dying_ to try.”

“What’s that?” asked Adrien.

Alya’s eyes flickered to Marinette. A sly grin spread over her face. “Phantom Manor.”

Marinette nearly dropped her phone. “What? Nooooo. I’m not doing that!”

“Come on,” Alya said. “It’s Halloween! We have to ride the spooky ride.”

Marinette scowled. “You know I hate scary stuff.”

“But this is Disney,” Nino said. “It’s made for kids. How bad could it be?”

“If you’re really that uncomfortable with it, I’ll stay back with you,” Adrien offered.

Her eyes went wide. “No, no! I wouldn’t want you to do that. I’ll just wait for you.”

“You shouldn’t be alone. I’m staying.”

Alya arched an eyebrow. “You’re really gonna make Adrien wait outside with you?”

Marinette sighed. “Fine.”

* * *

When they reached the gate to Phantom Manor, darkness had settled over the park. The house loomed over the scene, looking sinister awash in purple and green. They climbed the winding path while ominous music played from speakers hidden among the drooping trees.

Marinette suppressed a shiver. Whatever Alya and Nino said, this place _was_ creepy.

When they reached the door, a man in a top hat ushered them inside. The dim parlor was adorned with peeling wallpaper and a portrait of a grim-looking bride and groom. Haunting music swirled around her while a ghostly voice slithered in her ear.

_“When strange and frightening sounds are heard all around … that is the time when the Phantom manifests. … We welcome you, humble mortals, to this mysterious manor ...”_

“This is so cool!” Adrien whispered.

“Yeah, I guess.” Marinette tried to rub away the goosebumps on her arm.

He frowned. “You okay?”

“Haha, yeah! I’m just dead. I mean, dread. I mean … cold?”

“Smooth,” Alya murmured.

“Shut up. This is all your fault,” she hissed back.

“You’ll thank me later.” Alya winked and pulled Nino through the crowd, leaving Marinette and Adrien alone.

The lighting in the room changed, and a panel opened in the wall. Marinette tried to ignore the prickle in the back of her neck as they pressed with the crowd into a small circular chamber lined with gargoyles and imposing portraits.

“ _Here you can admire the portraits of the beautiful mistress of the house and her … slightly less lucky suitors._ ”

“Look!” Adrien said. “She’s disappearing from the paintings.”

But that wasn’t all. The ceiling appeared to be rising, and the portraits stretched upward, revealing the sinister fates of their occupants.

“ _Unfortunately, things are not always as they seem. Not all tales have a happy ending._ ”

“What happened to apple-y ever after?” Marinette muttered.

Adrien chuckled. “Don’t worry. This is gonna be fun!”

“Yeah. Fun.”

“Hey, that’s the _spirit_!”

She mustered a smile, but a chill ran down her spine as the Phantom cackled and the room plunged into blackness. Between flashes of lightning, she glimpsed a body swinging from a noose high above them. She shrieked and clutched Adrien’s hand.

The lights flickered back on, and the crowd moved toward the door.

“S-sorry.” Marinette released her grip, but Adrien caught her hand.

“It’s okay. We’ll make it through together, alright?”

The warmth of his smile almost made the goosebumps fade. He led her through the doorway, still holding tightly to her hand.

They passed through a hallway lined with even more creepy portraits. Around the corner was a grand staircase, where a lonely bride gazed out the rainy window. In front of her, people boarded the ride vehicles as a conveyer belt moved them past. Marinette took a steadying breath.

“Hey, I promise it’ll be okay.” Adrien let go of her hand to pull something out of his pocket. “I still have my lucky charm to protect us. See?”

Marinette’s jaw dropped.

It was a lucky charm, alright, but it wasn’t the one she had given him that day when they played video games in her bedroom.

It was one she had given away much later. On a warm night on her balcony, with a half-eaten pizza left on the table.

The one she had given Chat Noir.

Even in the dim lighting, she could see the green and black beads, the tiny paw prints, the little golden bell.

 _Adrien has Chat Noir’s lucky charm_.

“What’s wrong?” Adrien glanced from Marinette’s face to the charm and then let out a gasp. “Sorry—that was—that’s not what I meant.” He shoved it back in his pocket and pulled out the familiar pink-and-green one. “Uhhh, here it is! My lucky charm. The … one and only …”

The ride attendant gestured them toward a vehicle. Marinette followed Adrien in a daze. She was only half-listening to him ramble on about how he’d bought the other charm online from a Chat Noir fan shop.

 _Adrien has Chat Noir’s lucky charm_.

_Which means …_

_Adrien is Chat Noir._

The attendant pushed down their safety bar, and the vehicle passed into a dark hallway. Beside her, Adrien fell silent.

As anxious as she’d been a minute before, she was barely aware of the ghosts and ghouls that surrounded her. The sounds of screams and eerie music were drowned out by the screaming in her own head.

_ADRIEN IS CHAT NOIR! ADRIEN IS CHAT NOIR! ADRIEN!! IS!! CHAT!! NOIR!!_

_So that means … CHAT NOIR is the one sitting next to me? Right now?? In this weird black death buggy???_

She snuck a glance out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting stiffly, staring straight ahead.

 _Adrien_ was her partner? Who she counted on to have her back and trusted with her own life?

 _Adrien_ was her best friend? Who made her laugh every day and supported her in everything (but could also be _such_ a sore loser when he lost a video game)?

The more she thought about it, the less crazy it sounded.

In fact, after everything she’d seen today—the puns, the messy hair, the nicknames—it actually kind of made sense.

“... step away from the carriage with your left foot.”

Marinette startled. Was the ride over already? She stumbled out of the buggy.

Nino and Alya were waiting for them by the exit.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Nino asked.

“Yeah, you look like you’ve seen a _ghost._ ” Alya grinned. “Come on, the fireworks are about to start!”

She led them back to the front of the castle, where a large crowd had gathered. As the show began, Marinette couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Adrien every couple minutes.

Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“We need to talk. Privately,” she whispered.

“Uh, we’re kind of in public right now.”

“I know, but I _need_ to talk to you.”

Adrien’s eyes darted to the ground. “Okay.”

Marinette leaned over to Alya. “Hey, we’re gonna see if we can get a bit closer.”

“ _Oh_ , you want a bit of privacy, huh? That’s cool.” Alya winked. “We’ll give you some space. Right, Nino?”

Marinette blushed. She’d almost forgotten about her promise to confess to Adrien in front of the castle.

Well, it seemed like more than one secret would be revealed tonight.

She grabbed Adrien’s hand and led him through the crowd. Then she turned to him and took a breath.

“It’s you. You’re really—” She stopped herself. It probably wasn’t a good idea to say “You’re Chat Noir” in the middle of a crowd in Paris.

Adrien gazed at her. The lights of the fireworks changed his face from pink to green to purple. He sighed. “Yeah. I knew I would screw up eventually. It was always a risk for me to be your friend with the mask. I wasn’t careful enough.”

Marinette’s mouth went dry. It was one thing to think it. It was another thing to hear it from him directly.

“Is it … weird? Are you mad? I always felt a little guilty for hanging out with you while I was suited up, but you’re just so easy to talk to. And I really like spending time with you. I couldn’t as … _me_ , because my father barely lets me have friends. I mean, it’s a miracle he even let me come on this trip! But I’m sorry if I betrayed your trust. You’re one of my best friends, Marinette, and I’d never want to hurt you.” He bowed his head, shoulders drooping.

“No,” she said. “I’m not mad at all. Actually, it’s … kind of perfect.”

“Really?” He offered one of those soft smiles that always made her melt.

“Really. Absolutely _purr_ -fect.”

He laughed softly. Then he froze. “Except for the part where La—LB— _kills_ me. How am I gonna tell her this? She’s gonna be so mad.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Marinette’s lips. “Actually, I think she’ll be fine with it.”

“No, she won’t,” Adrien said miserably. “You don’t know her.”

“I know her better than you think.”

He twisted his ring around on his finger. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll have to give up my miraculous now. I’ll have to lose Plagg. I’m such an idiot.”

“Hey. You can keep your miraculous.”

“That’s not really your decision.”

“Adrien.” She was surprised by how steady her voice was. How normal it felt to talk to him this way—the way she talked to Chat. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

“What makes you so sure?”

She bit her lip, considering. Then she rose up on her tip-toes and leaned close to his ear.

“I’m not just your princess, Kitty,” she whispered. “I’m also your lady.”

He stiffened. His eyes went wide, reflecting the light of the fireworks. “My lady … _bug_?”

She nodded. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Everything was out in the open now.

Well, _almost_ everything.

She lowered her voice even more. “I’m Ladybug. And … you’re the other boy.”

Adrien’s eyebrows rose. “You mean—”

“I love you, Adrien,” she blurted.

Fireworks crackled overhead. His mouth fell open in a little _o_.

“I always have. Ever since that day in the rain. When you gave me your umbrella.” She swallowed. “It’s you. It’s always been you.”

Her heart was in her throat and the butterflies were swarming in her stomach, but a sense of calm settled over her as she watched Adrien’s expression shift from shock to wonder.

He pulled her into a tight embrace. His voice was as thick as honey. “I never stopped loving you, milady.”

“Kitty, are you crying?”

“Can you blame me? I just got the best news of my life. _Twice_.” He pulled back, his eyes shining. “You love me. And you’re _you_. Marinette. My princess and my lady … the same.” He skimmed his thumb across her cheek, light as a feather.

He leaned down slowly. She rose up on her toes to meet him, one hand on his shoulder and the other pressed to his chest.

For a moment, she forgot she was in a crowd. She forgot she was at Disneyland. She forgot she was on planet earth. She forgot she was anywhere except between the arms of the boy she loved, with his lips against hers and his heart beating under her palm.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she murmured when they broke apart.

The breath of his laugh tickled her skin. “Well, it’s a small world, after all.”

“Shut up.” But she couldn’t keep from grinning as she pressed her lips to his again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out these [awesome drawings](https://carpisuns.tumblr.com/post/636442207343280128/aaaaaaaa-omg-im-screaming-these-are-so-cute) done by artbyknigit! 😭💜


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